But in an issue of New Avengers (Volume 1, Issue 56, to be exact) when Bucky was Captain America, and all of the Avengers were knocked incapacitated, save for Mockingbird. She ended up using his gun and shield to fight against the Wrecking Crew, and commented on how the gun was a modified Luger.

I don't think he is gonna die, because they show him squaring off against Daredevil in Avengers VS X-Men. If you watched the livestream event, you could see the picture. Unless that's a clone of him or something.